Here's a reply from my good friend Jim the seller of the green jolly tiger mulch on ebay
Dave of the fig forum asked if I could "write a little reply for the fig site."
Hell no, little is just for small thinkers! And I just popped the cork on a bottle of chestnut blossom wine.
So blame this all on Dave.
When I was half way through my home page, about my art, I had a friend check it out. She said why aren't you talking about fracking. Oops, and there it is the CLICK ME drop down menu - you don't want to go there but you might want to click CLICK ME it has to do with plants and 'dkirtexas' who thinks I got the smarts may wish to rethink that opinion, I really blew it with a tomato. So I have my peeves and eBay is one. In short they let everybody get away with anything as long as they make money. I have complained to eBay about fraudulent sales numerous times and nothing is done. They are money makers. It's all that simple. So the onus is placed on our backs. Lets start with the mythical Green Jolly Tiger. Jolly Tiger fig is a named cultivar and is is variegated. If it reverts back to green and "cures it's self of the genetic disease" all you have is a ficus carica and one that apparently tastes bad from some reports. I can't stand to see people lose their money to the P.T. Barnum effect -"A sucker is born every minuet".
Last year there was a listing for Jolly Tiger cuttings, they looked so bad I offered free cuttings for those that purchased them, I made good on that offer. One of the buyers that did go through with the purchase received 3 "cuttings" it was a dead fig twig of unknown origin that was snapped into three pieces and was so rotten the bark was falling off. She of course got her money back - ah but that is the plan.
Here's how it works. In two words MONEY LAUNDERING. The seller has an eBay account and makes money through sales. To lower tax responsibility the seller does the above then declares a loss to the full amount of the sale. This is also done buy ordering "stock" from over seas that is garbage and a loss is created and then returned. This launders the money from stock supplier. Once in PayPal its untraceable. There are groups of people often with the same PayPal account # and yet in different states. If you wish to look into the subject Google money laundering eBay as well as PayPal.
Here's where it get interesting, you can make money. After you research a suspect(s) you call the FBI and make a full report. They will listen and file it but they will say "Not our job, call the IC3 unit." that's internet crimes. Don't do that. Wait a bit then call the IRS make a report on their tax evasion. They WILL open a case. Wait a bit more then call the IC3 unit. The deal is if you turn in a tax evader and the Treasury recovers money you get 10%. Mind you some of these organized rings are huge and if the feds start seizing accounts it's some serious coin.
Someone at eBay is nervous about the feds who are now looking into the laundering issue especially for the funding of terrorism and so they shed their ownership of PayPal recently. Now if they just get rid of fraudulent sellers or those that bend the truth to sell high price items - forget it they make to much money for them. We must be our own police starting with, there are no green Jolly Tiger Figs.
Have a great now. JIM
http://www.jamesleonardartist.me/jolly-tiger-culture.html
PS 'brianm' No not drunk at time of ebay listing but I shale not confirm or deny my current state.
'pino' The Canadian hit the nail on the head. ( They good that way)